How to get that Distressed Aged look when Upcycling Furniture

The beauty of chalk paint is that you don’t have to do any prep work. There are a number of different finishes you could apply to your piece so just go layer by layer and decide what you’re happy with as you go. You can use sandpaper or steel wool to create a more distressed look. I sanded some corners and a few of the details. It is up to you how much and where you want to add this. I have used this method on several items of furniture, including: a wardrobe, a sideboard, a corner cabinet, six chairs, a dining table, a console table, nest of tables and a fire surround. I went through a mad shabby chic phase! This look is versatile though. You can use it on any type of furniture and you can mix up the colours to suit.

UpcyclingUpcycgirl28 September 2021wardrobe, distressed, aged, shabby chic, upcyclingComment

How To Make a Bathroom Vanity from Vintage Furniture

The original ‘washstand’ was popular throughout the 18th century. It consisted of a wooden cupboard or set of drawers with a stone countertop. A ceramic wash basin and water pitcher sat on top and you would fill these with water when you needed to wash or shave. Nowadays, we have the luxury of plumbing, but this makes the fusion of old and new slightly more complicated. I will talk you through how I turned a bargain antique chest of drawers into a bathroom vanity unit.

UpcyclingUpcycgirl23 July 2021vanity, basin, bathroom, vintage, antiqueComment

How to Create a Bookshelf with Reclaimed Scaffolding Boards and Pipe

We have a huge bedroom in our home so I wanted to add a creative space for myself and a studio area for Graeme’s music. The big empty wall, directly opposite the window, was just screaming for attention. So, I decided to create floor-to-ceiling shelves with a built-in desk. I knew I wanted to use reclaimed scaffolding boards and industrial pipe. I’ve used these materials several times before and they’re inexpensive and easy to work with.

How To Paint Melamine Kitchen Cabinets

Painting your cabinets is an affordable way to transform your kitchen without having to put in a new one. We have a fairly large kitchen, but the layout worked for us so we decided to upcycle the cabinets, change the hardware, replace worktops and add a new splashback. The existing kitchen was, at least, 15 years old, but in great condition. A couple of the doors (underneath the sink) were water damaged. I managed to sand the damaged areas so that, once the paint was on, you couldn’t see the damage at all. Not only did I paint the cabinets in our own kitchen but, I also painted the cabinets in our holiday cottage, both of which are made of melamine aka laminate.

UpcyclingUpcycgirl18 August 2020kitchen reno, paint cabinets, how to, kitchen, diy kitchenComment

How To Make a Feather Wall Decoration

I have had these placemats for some time now and never used them so I thought I would get creative and have some fun experimenting with different designs. I have uploaded a video tutorial for a change. See below. This is the first one I have completed, seven more to go! I plan to give them all a different personality, I’ll maybe name them too! Suggestions in comments.

UpcyclingUpcycgirl9 July 2020feather wall art, wall decoration, placemat, juju Comments

How to Re-cover a Bell Lampshade

This is as easy as it gets when it comes to a DIY lampshade. I re-covered one large and one small scallop bell lampshade. I used the same fabric and trim for both, but I put a black fringe onto the small one and a gold fringe onto the large one.

UpcyclingUpcycgirl22 June 2020diy lampshade, lampshade, recover lampshade Comments

5 Simple DIY Lights to Add Character to your Home

My lighting top tips:

Be creative. If you need a lamp but like the look of a ceiling light then improvise; turn it into a lamp. Even chandeliers can sit beautifully on a sideboard – nothing is too bizarre as far as I’m concerned!
Play with what you have available. Think about how you can use existing features and accentuate them with lighting. For example, add LED lighting strips on beams or in alcoves.
Make sure your bulbs comply. If you have a dimmer switch installed then check that the bulbs you have are dimmable, otherwise they can cause damage to the lamp or circuit.

UpcyclingUpcycgirl16 May 2020lighting, diy lighting, upcycled lights, industrial lightingComment

How To Make Candles from Recycled Wax

If, like me, you can’t stand waste then you’ll love this tutorial. This is candle making for your inner eco warrior! I found myself staring at a used up donut candle, which was sitting on the coffee table. It was beautiful when it was lit and functioning but after the wick ran out, there was so much leftover wax! Not knowing what to do with it and not wanting to throw it out, I did some research into recycling wax. Of course, that turned into an experiment and finally a blog post. So, if you want to make new candles out of your old ones, here’s how…

How to Decorate Easter Eggs using Natural Dyes

Easter isn’t cancelled yet! This year, save some cash and decorate your eggs the old-fashioned way: with items you already have in your home. If you’re trying to be more sustainable and keep your household waste-free then this is an Easter DIY for you. How you display your creations is up to you; create an egg hunt in the garden for the kids or construct a pretty vignette.

UpcyclingUpcycgirl2 April 2020easter, easter eggs, diy easter eggs, easter decorations, easter egg decor, natural dyes, leaf printComment

5 Things to do when you're self-isolating

It's easy to get stuck in that downward spiral of fear and anxiety if you're watching the news or reading coronavirus updates on social media all the time. Instead of constantly absorbing information, take the time to vent and exhale the negativity. There is opportunity and positivity to be taken from this situation. Use it for self-care and since we can't hug others, hug your home instead.

10 Easy Steps to a DIY Upholstered Coffee Table / Footstool

A footstool or ottoman that acts as a coffee table is handy in so many ways. In this case, I wanted to create an extension to the corner sofa to allow for a sofa bed. Basically, the footstool will slide into the gap of the corner sofa to create a rectangle instead of an ‘L’ shape. Think Tetris! The rest of the time, it can be used as a footstool, coffee table or extra seating.

UpcyclingUpcycgirl12 March 2020 Comments

Consumption Conscious - Guilt Free Furniture That Doesn't Cost The Earth

This consumer society that we have created has led to resource depletion and an astronomical amount of waste. Our relationship with our possessions is very different to how it once was. Furniture was high in quality and made to last. It was passed down from grandparents, to parents, to children. It served a purpose and each piece told a story.

Upcycling

Let’s Connect